In brief
Gianni Infantino announced that after the 2026 World Cup, FIFA will evaluate a move to a 64‑team knockout format, arguing that the expanded 48‑team era proved successful for teams from Africa and all confederations. The proposal, championed by Conmebol in 2025, faces resistance from UEFA, AFC and Concacaf, who warn of logistical and competitive chaos. Expansion would mean 128 matches, more travel for hosts and larger host footprints, complicating operations for countries already stretched by the 2026 and 2030 tournaments. Despite doubts, Infantino sees a broadened field as a win for revenue and opportunity for emerging football nations, while calling on FIFA council to deliberate wide‑ranging impacts. The decision may ultimately rest with the council, with no immediate timetable for a shift.
Gianni Infantino – FIFA president since 2016 – said the plans to assess a 64‑team men’s World Cup will be made after the 2026 finals, stressing the need for a tournament “for the whole world”.
After the 2026 edition expands from 32 to 48 teams, Infantino highlighted the successful run of African nations, noting that ten out of eleven African teams reached the knockout stages of the expanded format, versus just five a generation earlier.
In April 2025, Conmebol presented a formal motion to boost the 2030 edition – to be co‑hosted by Spain, Portugal, Morocco, with opening matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – to a 64‑team field. FIFA has yet to decide.
UEFA’s president Aleksander Ceferin dismissed the idea as a “bad idea”, while the AFC and Concacaf presidents warned that a bigger field would bring chaos to qualification and damage the football ecosystem.
Opposition points to practical hurdles: 64 teams would host 128 matches, requiring vastly larger venues and logistics. The 2030 edition already covers six countries, and a 2034 tournament could overwhelm Saudi Arabia and other potential hosts.
Infantino remains persuasive: a 64‑team World Cup would allow roughly one‑third of the 211 FIFA‑affiliated associations to qualify, increasing revenue that could be redistributed to member associations.
Ultimately the expansion decision will rest with FIFA’s council, which has historically maintained careful consideration of stakeholder proposals, and there are no firm signs that the 64‑team concept is imminent.
